jdleach 525 #1 Posted May 26, 2014 Worked her like she was a red-headed step-child, and she performed flawlessly. Have a small acreage in the country that I still go out to play in occasionally. Has the old house, a pole building, and some of my old farm equipment. Now that I have the 312, I can get serious about cleaning the property up. Mowed out there about a month ago, but other matters prevented me from getting out there till yesterday. Here are a few photos of loading the tractor in the truck, driving the 50 miles to the farm, and shots of before, and after, mowing for a solid 5 hours. Loaded. Arrival. Weeds. More Weeds. Mowed! Mowed! Leaving. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,300 #2 Posted May 26, 2014 Awesome pics!! I just love that ol' truck! Any after pics of the lawn? Mike........... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #4 Posted May 26, 2014 Disregard the beer can in the bed of the truck, it is some sort of photographic artifact that shows up whenever I mow. Strangely though, it happens regardless of which camera I use. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #5 Posted May 26, 2014 Country roads, take me home! Nice truck, farmette and tractor...just need a dog to complete the picture! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #6 Posted May 26, 2014 Thanks Mike. Yeah, was attaching the "after" photos as you replied. I am not afraid to say that that chore kicked my butt. Didn't think wallowing around on a garden tractor seat could beat me up so bad. Sore and stiff as hell today. The only issue I had, was one of the deck wheels came off. Lost only the nut. Fortunately, I had a nut and lock washers on hand. Was back to mowing in 10 minutes. I think part of the reason for being sore is also the drive. The Ford is all original, complete with flathead V8, concrete shocks, Armstrong steering, and manual tranny. Brother drove the truck around the block once, and said that was enough for him. Said you had to be a "He-Man" to drive it. Additionally, the truck is SLOW. Took about 1 3/4 hours one-way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martin 2,131 #7 Posted May 26, 2014 tractor looks nice..... love the truck, no matter how hard to drive....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,330 #8 Posted May 26, 2014 Working the old truck I love it !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,968 #9 Posted May 27, 2014 Great pics and story! Thank you JD for showing us how you spent the day. Perfect! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papaglide 542 #10 Posted May 27, 2014 Pretty cool! I knew that was a beer can! Thanks for sharingJD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #11 Posted May 27, 2014 More pics of the truck!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,126 #12 Posted May 27, 2014 Great adventure, nice photography too. Thanks for sharing with us here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jrblanke 857 #13 Posted May 27, 2014 I love that truck! Great looking mower as well! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #14 Posted May 27, 2014 Will post a few more pics. of the truck later tonight or tomorrow. I have owned the Ford for 32 years now. Was my father's truck, and he bought it when I was 10 or 11, and it was old then. When I turned 13, he taught me how to drive it, along with our Farmall H tractor. Had only about 42K on the odometer. We only used it on the farm, and it sat most of the time in the barn. When Dad gave it to me, I was too broke to do any restoration, could only maintain it well. Unfortunately, I also had no barn or garage to keep it in, so it sits outside, which is why it looks rough. Mechanically she is near perfect. Rebuilt the flatty some 23 years ago, but only have put around 23K on the engine since. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #15 Posted May 27, 2014 That truck looks perfect! Don't mess with it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chip61 658 #16 Posted May 28, 2014 Great pics! Is the Ford late '40's-early 50's? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedyleedy 205 #17 Posted May 28, 2014 Great picture's thanks for sharing them with us Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #18 Posted May 28, 2014 Great pics! Is the Ford late '40's-early 50's? Just got in from work, so too late to post any pics. this morning. Got to get to bed. The truck is a 1949 F2. The 48-50 ford trucks all looked the same (except for the cabovers). F2 means it is a 3/4 ton. Not too many of them around, most folks restore the 1/2 ton. The F2's rode awful, steered worse, and drink gas. Thing weighs 2 ton empty. The rear is 4:86, so that limits my top speed significantly. After I broke it in years ago after the rebuild, I took it on a country road and put my foot into it. Top speed was 70, and the engine was screaming. The only time I ever did that. Only take her to 50 occasionally, cruises well at 40-45. I sometimes forget how old the truck is (65) since I have drove it for some 43 years. Has duals and glass packs on it now, and folks think I dumped a 302 or 351 in it. Unless I am talking to a motorhead, or someone north of 50 years old, most don't know what a flathead V8 is. Ford made millions of them for 32 years. Guess I'm just getting old. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,518 #19 Posted May 28, 2014 Great pic's and story! Truck 'n Horse look excellent! Thanks for posting! And, have fun with your "fleet!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fordiesel69 259 #20 Posted May 28, 2014 Awsome pics, thanks for sharing. In regard to that truck, is that original paint? Reason I ask is there is surface rust that looks very manageable if prepped and at least repainted every now and then. Would hate to see it rot out after it made it that long. That grass looks tall, what gear did you use to cut in, and did you need to go around a 2nd time to make it look that nice? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-101plowerpower 1,605 #21 Posted May 28, 2014 great looking pics, nice truck and nice mower, do i spot a farmall in one of the pics? and the corn picker, are they ever going to be used again? Koen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,968 #22 Posted May 28, 2014 Definetly some truck guys here as well. Me too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #23 Posted May 28, 2014 Thanks to all you great people for the comments. You guys are so welcoming, I talked to the wifey when I got up a bit ago about going to the Big Show in Pa. to meet some of you. The tractor is a 1948 Farmall H. Have had it for about 20 years now. Used to sorta farm with it. Got pretty sick over the last few years with bad rings, etc. Tore it down In January, and have begun doing a restoration. Completely reworked most of the bolt-on stuff, head, etc. Now I need to split the tractor, and send the block off to the machine shop, also need to buy the overhaul kit. As far as using that old farm equipment again, it will only to play with. With commodity prices as they are, land is just to pricey, even here in southern Indiana which is hilly as hell. Want to slowly restore the picker, my trip plows, bush hog, cultivator set, etc. As for the mowing, it was ghastly. In several places, the grass was higher than the hood of the Horse, especially on the old garden spot, which was in the flat area to the left of the driveway in the second to last photo of the first post. Had to drop down to 2nd low in many places, and the chute of the deck kept getting clogged. Would make a pass with the left mower blade engaging the tall stuff, while the other two blades re-chewed the previous pass. Went over some areas twice. The way I mowed it, the drive was one big windrow of cut vegetation when I was near done, so I went up and down the drive, blowing the hay toward the garden. In the photo I mentioned, you can just see the windrow I created at the bottom of the driveway slope. The clump in the foreground is brush that needs torched. It was getting dark when I took the pictures, so I did not get shots of the finished product. After putting camera away, and loading the Horse, I broke out the trimmer and went around the light pole, mailbox, trees, and picnic table. Will go out again Saturday and do some more mowing around the pole building, and start removing the briars and multi-flora rose from the old house. If we get rain tonight, will torch the brush piles. The paint on the truck is not original. When Dad bought the thing, it was painted it's original "Meadow Green", which looked more like "olive drab". Dad couldn't stand it, so shot it one weekend at the family machine shop with that John Deere looking green. Rustoleum "Forest Green" is a pretty good match. If you look closely at the rear of the truck when I am preparing to load the tractor, you can see where I painted around the backglass. Replaced the glass and seal last year, and cleaned, primered, and painted the opening. A lot of folks tell me I should just leave the truck as it is, and apply a preservative. That is not my plan. While the rust and faded paint gives it character, it is not as I remember it. I remember it shiny green, and it is going back to that condition someday god willing. Here is an old photo of me, my dog Ruby, and the '49, taken in March of 1983. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #24 Posted May 28, 2014 Another shot. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
